Zutara Week 2013
by akiko-dono
Summary: Not sure if I'll have a chance to write something every day, but whatever I come up with will get posted here. Hope you enjoy, please review! Fair warning, most of these will be M or MA, so just know that before you read. Both characters are of the age of consent.
1. Calor

Zutara Week 2013

As per Zutara Week rules of submission, both characters are above the age of consent. I'm not sure I'll have time to write anything substantial this week, but I will try to do at least some one-shot/drabble type things for each prompt.

This one got away from me a little. I only meant for it to be a short little drabble. Then this happened. Hope you enjoy!

**Calor **

_(noun); Spanish for "heat"_

Rating: M for sexual situations

* * *

She feels it in flashes.

The palace itself is kept moderately cool, what with the many servants flapping their many fans, but there is only so much to be done on days like these. The feathered fans that are supposed to bring relief do little more than move hot air, creating waves of heat that crest and fall like a boiling ocean. Sitting in the council chamber, her high collared dress sticking to her skin, Katara rolls her neck and wonders how they stand it. The heat. All this fire everywhere, at this time in the summer, and every councilor is content to sit near open flames and sip their impossibly hot tea.

Katara glanced down at her own steaming cup, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. But as a bead of sweat worked its way under her mother's necklace, she realized she had one trick these poor councilors can't pull. _Thank the spirits for water bending. _

Katara cast a quick glance to her side, but Zuko is rapt in whatever Councilor Suchandsuch is saying. Pretending to nod, Katara slips a hand from the long sleeve of her cobalt dress and starts to swirl the tea. Her slight ministrations take immediate effect and the steam disappears, much to Katara's delight. Small crystals of ice are starting to appear around the edges of the cup when a slight breeze from one of the fans blows a gust of now-cool air in her face. Her eyes close in relief, but it is a short reprieve.

She desperately continues her bending, hoping she'll be rewarded with another cool breeze from her ice-laden tea. She can feel a bead of sweat sliding from her forehead, down her cheek, then her neck as it heads for her bindings. She shifts in discomfort, but even expensive fabric sticks to moisture, and it brings no relief. She chances another glance at Zuko. He's calmly taking notes, not a bit of sweat to be seen.

Katara huffs and turns back to her tea, praying to the spirits for some relief. When the breeze finally returns, she feels the cool air blow against the sweat on her brow and she sighs, a soft sound of craving that she's barely aware of, but the man next to her is all too attuned to that sound. Zuko slides his eyes over to Katara, trying not to notice the wanton look on her face. _What is she doing?_

Another councilor opens a door and the breeze swirls again. Katara nearly faints with gratitude, a needy sound escaping her lips as the cold air rushes over her. She feels more than sees Zuko's eyes on her, but she doesn't care. This is the first reprieve she's had in weeks from this damned heat, and it's Zuko's fault that she's an ambassador anyways, so if she has to sit in this sauna of a council chamber, she's entitled to some relief.

The heavy door closed and a gust of wind is again sent Katara's way. Her back arches in an attempt to expose more of her neck to the bracing air, a small, needing hum in the back of her throat.

Zuko's hand shot out from his robes and grabbed her wrist. Hard. The contact broke her focus and she turned to him, not prepared for the only thing hotter than a Fire Nation summer. His golden eyes were molten, heated by desire, hunger, and tempered with some slight confusion. Katara felt her breath catch at the back of her throat, that look suddenly transporting her to the last time his eyes radiated such heat.

She feels it in flashes.

_Tumbling back against the bed._

_The weight of his body over hers. _

_The taste of ash on his lips._

_The heat of his mouth covering her neck…_

Katara shook her head, trying to dislodge the thought, but Zuko's tight grasp on her wrist was doing her no favors. She glanced back at him, knowing full well she was returning his sultry stare.

"Excuse me…Fire Lord Zuko?"

The councilor's interjection broke their staring contest, and Katara was thankful for the iced beverage in front of her. It was actually pretty tasty. Making a mental note to tell Iroh about her inadvertent discovery, she focused on the tea in an attempt to cool down. As Zuko fumbled with his words to get the meeting back on track, Katara battled the mental images that would not be denied. She'd been an ambassador to the Fire Nation for five years now, but not once in those five years had there been so much to distract her.

* * *

_Three weeks earlier…_

Zuko usually met Katara at the gates of the palace when she was visiting, but this time he wasn't there. Instead she was met by Iroh, who explained that his nephew was busy in meetings all day, but hoped to see her for dinner. Katara thanked the old man and chatted with him as they walked, anything to distract her from the heat.

It was oppressive. It was a long journey from the Southern Water Tribe, but Katara couldn't believe the marked difference just from getting off the boat. The sun beat down in heavy rays that gave no mercy. She suddenly wished for her old Fire Nation garments, her "disguise" from the old days when the Fire Nation was a land of enemies. Her long ambassador's robes were made to insulate heat. Southern attire always was. She would need different clothes if the sun were to be this insistent the whole trip.

Katara easily found her way to the ambassador's chambers, glad to see the large fountain Zuko had installed when he asked her to take the position. During her first stay, Katara had remarked how difficult it was to stay sharp on her bending without any water around, and the ornate fountain had been Zuko's solution. A small mountain was carved out of clay, and when Katara pushed and pulled the water, it poured out of the top like a volcano. It was an amusing gift, but now it served a greater purpose.

Instead of attending dinner, Katara decided a bath was in order. She stripped down to her bindings and stepped into the fountain, cooling the water as she slipped inside. She unbraided her hair and submerged herself, relishing the refreshing cool of the water. She settled in a seated position, arms around the edge of the fountain. She was playing with the water, shooting it through the top of the mountain, when she heard it. The smallest clearing of a throat that told her she wasn't alone.

Zuko was standing in the doorway of her room, an arched eyebrow betraying his amusement. "You know, we do have baths in the Fire Nation."

Katara smiled but didn't move, still enjoying the water. It wasn't the first time Zuko had seen her in her bindings, and she had nothing to hide. "I know, but baths take time. This was much faster."

Zuko shook his head as he closed the door, walking through the apartment to grab her a towel. "Impatient, are we?"

She shouted after him, "Not everyone is as used to boiling temperatures as you are, oh great and powerful Fire Lord. Some of us actually feel the heat."

Zuko appeared with the towel, rolling his eyes. _Same old Katara. _Didn't matter the circumstances; she would always find a way to make fun of him. Their good-natured ribbing was iconic these days. He often found servants and council members alike standing just within earshot of their playful bickering.

He held the towel in front of him for her to take. "I feel the heat plenty, _Ambassador_. I just have a higher tolerance for discomfort than you."

"Oh really now."

"Must be."

"Couldn't have _anything_ to do with you growing up here, right?"

"Not at all."

"Or your being _used_ to the heat?"

"Of course not."

"You're just more disciplined than me."

"I've been saying it for years."

Katara rolled her eyes and stood, ready to accept the towel, but not ready for the look Zuko was giving her. She watched his eyes follow the rush of water over her shoulders and down her curves. The tops of her breasts were visible over her bindings every time she took a breath, and she was slightly ashamed to admit her breathing was picking up the more he looked at her. His eyes were ravaging her body, and she was surprised to find she liked it. She smirked at him. "Um…Zuko?"

His name on her lips snapped him out of it. "What?"

"Towel?"

"Oh, right. Here."

Katara took the towel and was about to step out of the fountain when an idea came into her head. Zuko had turned his back to her, presumably to let her get of her bindings without an audience, but Katara had something else in mind. As quietly as she could, she bent a large quantity of water out of the fountain and moved it above Zuko's head. She spoke as she worked. "How long has it been this hot?"

Zuko shrugged, completely oblivious to the mass of water gathering a few feet above him. "About a week. I'm sorry to say that you'll be here for the hottest part of the summer."

"It's not so bad. At least I get to leave. You're the one who's stuck in the heat."

"A fair point."

"Too bad there's nothing…to cool you down…" Katara let the words linger until he turned to face her. All it took was one look at her stance to know that she was up to something. He looked up, and before he could stammer a word in protest, Katara brought it all crashing down on him, soaking his robes.

Zuko's hair matted to his head, giving him the appearance of a sour-faced, drowned rodent. Katara immediately burst into giggles, falling back into the fountain and splashing in glee.

"You think this is funny?"

"Do you not?" Katara cackled, watching with amusement as he wiped the hair from his face. Zuko peeled the drenched robes from his body, leaving on only his pants.

"Well, we'll see who's laughing, Waterbender."

He sent a wave of fire at her that Katara had to counter, but unlike his unending supply of fire, her water was rather limited. She laughed, a small fire in her eyes as she chided. "Come on, it's hot enough without you blowing fire everywhere. Take a joke, Zuko."

"Oh I can take a joke. Let's see how you feel when the joke's on _you._"

His wall of flame had distracted her from the fact that Zuko had grabbed a bucket and was poised and ready to throw the water at Katara. She couldn't help goading him on. She sent a water whip his way and the rest was chaos. They chased each other around the room, alternately throwing water and fire, trying to bend themselves out of the ridiculous situation they'd created. However, the water couldn't last forever, and eventually Zuko had Katara pinned against the wall, a small flame held to her neck and a smile of victory on his lips.

"See? I win."

"I didn't know it was a competition."

"It's always a competition with you."

She rolled her eyes and tried to readjust, trying to pull water from her hair and from the towel to fight him off. Zuko was having none of it. He used his other hand to pin her wrist to the wall. "Not so fast. Just admit that I got you."

"Only if you put that fire out, you're making me hot."

Zuko arched an eyebrow at her words. "Really, Katara? I didn't think I had such power over you."

Katara successfully wrestled enough room to gather some remnant water, and it was enough to extinguish the flame in his hand. She used the advantage to flip their positions, holding him to the wall with her hips. Her grin of victory slowly fell as she looked at Zuko, their eyes meeting and chests heaving for air. His chest was warm against hers, and still toned as ever. He may have a throne now, but there was no evidence of a sedentary lifestyle in his body. She found herself pressing tighter against him, only slightly surprised to hear Zuko bite back a moan. She smirked and looked down, wondering where the power really laid between them. "Maybe you wanna rephrase that?"

Zuko's cheeks flushed, but his gaze was heavy on her. Experimentally, he moved his hand to the curve of her back, slowly trailing up and down her spine. Katara shivered, surprised that a touch so hot could make goose bumps appear on her skin. Her voice was far softer than she wanted. "Zuko…what are you doing?"

"Should I stop?"

She looked up at him, glad to see the same fire burning in his eyes. "No."

His lips came crashing down to hers, and she met him with just as much passion. She expected it to be strange. Kissing one of your best friends should be strange. But the way his lips felt on hers was one of the most natural things in the world. She felt his arousal growing and rolled her hips against him, smirking at the sigh she caused. His tongue begged entrance to her mouth and she granted it. He tasted of fire and something completely Zuko, something unique she'd never tried before. She felt desire pooling low in her belly and happily hooked her legs around Zuko's waist as he carried her to the bed.

His pants didn't last long, nor did her bindings. He shifted over her and stole a kiss, then slowly making his way down her body. When he covered her pulse with his tongue, she moaned. Sweat beaded on her body, but she wouldn't trade anything for the way he felt on top of her. She'd spent all day complaining about the heat, and now she couldn't get enough of it. But this heat was different. This heat was something she'd never felt before. Heat like this needed a different name.

When Zuko reached the apex of her thighs, he looked up for permission. She granted it whole-heartedly, amazed that one bundle of nerves could make her so hot. She grasped his head, running fingers through his long, black hair as he worked her with his tongue, delving inside to taste her as she writhed in pleasure. The quiver in her legs grew; Katara was sure something inside her was going to snap when all at once he stopped, settling against her with a question on his lips.

"Are you sure?"

"Spirits, yes."

Taking that as very willing confirmation, Zuko positioned himself and pressed inside her. She was wet and ready for him, but nothing prepared her for the overwhelming sensation of him being inside her. Zuko stilled, unable to hold back a groan. Katara lifted her legs, bending her knees so he reached further, filling her completely as he began to thrust. She reached up for a kiss, savoring the feeling of his lips on hers as their bodies worked together, moving faster and faster as they both reached for completion. They built up a satisfying rhythm, but Katara knew they would both need more. She slowly rolled them over, straddling Zuko with her knees and taking control.

Zuko writhed beneath her, "_Agni_, Katara. I'm not sure I can…I don't know if…"

She rode him expertly, feeling her own climax approaching. "Just hold on to me, Zuko."

She felt his fingers wrap around her hips, biting into her skin, but it was just the push she needed. She exploded around him, legs quivering as she came, and Zuko was not far behind. She collapsed on top of him, happy and spent, softly laughing against his chest.

Zuko absently played with her hair, amazed and somewhat mystified. "To be honest, this is not what I expected from tonight."

Katara looked up, a smile playing upon her lips. "Is that a bad thing?"

Zuko shook his head, rolling them over and resuming his trek down her body. "Best news I've had all day…"

* * *

_Present day_

Katara didn't even realize the meeting had ended until the councilors were almost out the door. Her adolescent daydreaming had become rather involved. She dabbed her brow with the sleeve of her dress, polishing off the rest of her tea in a futile attempt to calm down.

Zuko noticed her state, but said nothing. Katara hadn't said anything about that night since it happened. If she wanted to talk about it, she'd talk. Or at least that's what he'd been telling himself for three long weeks. Katara took her work very seriously, but that was no reason to completely ignore what happened. He sighed as he watched her go, his own flashbacks making his decision for him.

After dinner that night, Zuko summoned all his courage and knocked on her door. Before waiting for an answer, he let himself in, closing the door behind him with his prepared speech ready to go…until he saw her.

Katara was bathing naked in the fountain. She even had the audacity to smile as he openly gaped.

"What took you so long?"

* * *

This may need an alternate title. Calor: Or, How Katara's Sexual Fantasies Invented Iced Tea. Hope you enjoyed, please review!


	2. Euphoria

Zutara Week 2013

Day Two

Genre: Romance/Angst

Rating: M for sexual situations

As per Zutara Week rules of submission, both characters are above the age of consent.

* * *

**Euphoria**

_(noun); a feeling of well-being or elation_

_Etymology: New Latin, from Greek, from euphoros _**healthy**_, from eu- + pherein_ **to bear, to carry**

_Euphoria is medically recognized as a mental and emotional condition in which a person experiences intense feelings of well-being, elation, happiness, excitement, and joy…an intense state of transcendent happiness combined with an overwhelming sense of contentment. _

_Euphoria is generally considered to be an exaggerated physical and psychological state…not typically achieved during the normal course of human experience._

.

.

.

.

.

And then he sees her.

It is so much more than sight. She walks into his view and a spell is cast. The corners of her mouth lift her smile and his heart. Her laughter rises in his chest as it does hers. The sway of her hips when she walks makes him dizzy. She becomes the center, the focus, the core. The air is easier to breathe when she's sitting beside him at the fire. The shackles of past wrongs don't feel so heavy.

And then he sees him. And it all changes.

No longer the young, carefree monk he chased across the kingdoms. No longer the child he taught to Firebend. Aang was a man now. And his adolescent crush on Katara had grown into a real passion. One that, to all appearances, she returned. Or at least allowed. Aang greeted Katara with a warm smile and a hug, and she welcomed the embrace. It would be too much to bear if her eyes didn't flick his way, if they weren't full of apology and shame.

Strange to think her shame would bring him peace, but if it meant nothing, she wouldn't look that way.

The sun has long set before she comes to him. Every year they camp here, on the beach at Ember Island, to remember all it took to end the war. To remember the sacrifices they made. To remember the friends they lost. Strange to think a time so full of remembrance should bring such ecstasy, but if he's honest, it's the only time of year his heart is full.

She closes the flap of his tent with practiced hands. She's stopped pretending that she doesn't know why she's come. She turns and he can see the burden lift from her shoulders. She stands straighter. Her blue eyes are brighter. Her smile is wider. He stands on shaky legs, heart thudding in his eardrums. Her presence is intoxicating, clouding all of his senses, making his mouth run dry. He stumbles over her name. "Katara."

She breathes a sigh of relief. "Finally."

They run to each other in the small space of the tent, arms clasping to each other as a lifeline. Heads swimming they stand there, content to embrace, content to hold on, unable to do anything but sway together until their vision clears. He regains balance first, pulling away to cradle her face between his hands, brushing kisses over her cheeks as she laughs softly. She sounds content. "Zuko…I've missed you."

"I missed you, too."

He pulls back to look in her eyes, thumbs absently tracing the creases in her smile. This joy must be a kind of madness, to put everything else out of his mind so completely. She raises a hand to his cheek, running her fingers over the familiar ridges of his scar. Strange to think there was a time he would have shied away. Strange to think he leans into her palm now.

They don't have to go through the reasons anymore. They know them by heart. The reason why Zuko has yet to take a Fire Lady, despite the urgings of his council. The reason why Aang has never told Katara how he feels. The reason why Katara has refused dozens of marriages that would give her people security. They aren't children anymore. None of their lives are truly their own. Zuko must lead a nation. Katara must rebuild the Southern Tribe. And Aang has to deal with the whole world's problems. Their lives draw them in three separate directions, a triangle that spans continents and would tangle too many lives together.

Peace may be kinder than war, but only a fool would think it's easier.

Zuko breaks the silence, slowly running his hands over her shoulders, edging the fabric of her dress aside. She shrugs, helping the garment slide off her skin.

"How long can you stay?"

She starts on the tie at her waist. "Two weeks at most. You?"

"There's a ship scheduled to take me back in ten days. It's a busy time in the Fire Nation."

Katara moves her hands to the front of his shirt, slowly pulling it over his head. "Only ten days, huh?"

Zuko tosses it aside. "It was the best I could do."

Katara runs her hands along his waist, sliding her hands along the top of his pants. "What if there's something wrong with the ship? Some kind of technical difficulties?"

Zuko smirked, the fire in her eyes spreading to his own. "Well, that would take time to fix, of course."

"A few hours?"

"A few days if you do it right."

Katara laughed, a deep, throaty chuckle that sent Zuko's blood rushing south. She let the dress fall to the side, making quick work of her breast bindings, letting them both fall to the ground. She looped her arms around his neck, pressing her bare chest against his as she whispered, "I'll see what I can do…"

Zuko was lost. The humming in his ears overwhelmed all else and he could do nothing but kiss her. His lips fell to hers in necessity, needing to feel her mouth moving over his. She snaked her tongue into his mouth, grasping desperately at the back of his neck; Zuko's knees buckled, sending them both to his pallet on the ground. Katara giggled against his lips, and her laugh was contagious. Zuko couldn't stop the smile that was spreading across his face, rolling over a now cackling Katara and pinning her hands above her head.

"You've making it hard for me to concentrate, love."

Katara tried to keep her mouth shut, but Zuko's condescending look had long lost any power over her. It sent her riding on another wave of laughter, one that Zuko couldn't help but join in. Her laugh, like her kisses, was intoxicating. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just…your knees _literally_ gave out…"

"I'll have you know I took a pretty good hit to one of those knees saving your life in the Eastern Air Temple. It's an old injury."

"Oh, is it now?"

Zuko's face softened as he cupped her cheek, amazed that he'd found a love like this, if only for a few days out of the year. He thought back to their early days, the passionate way she protected her friends. How much it meant to finally be counted among them. Zuko couldn't remember a time before he loved Katara, not really. He brought her hand to his face and kissed her palm, eyes shining in the darkness. "Yes. It is."

Katara's brow creased, his words burrowing straight to her heart. It got harder to leave him every time. Harder to not refuse the daylight and stay in their tent forever. But there would be time for that later. She had the rest of the year to mourn the loss of him. For now, he was real in front of her, heavy over her as he kissed down her neck, warm and alive between her hands as his lips ghosted over her stomach. She crooked his chin up, forcing him to look at her. "I love you, Zuko."

"I love you too."

The rest was a blur of limbs and embraces, two bodies racing for the same goal, becoming one in a moment of ecstasy. Nothing felt like this. No one else could ever feel like this. When two halves of the same whole unite, it can be felt down to the core. Katara held onto him, hips meeting his in a primal rhythm, every stroke a declaration of love. She didn't last long; she never did their first night together. Her legs quivered as she felt the delicious tension snap, eyes creased in pleasure as she whimpered his name. Zuko was fast behind her, falling over the edge and stifling his groan with a kiss.

They stayed like that for a moment, unable to do anything but breathe each other in. A fleeting thought crossed their minds, that maybe it was better this way, that surely a life filled with this would be too much to bear, too hot to burn for long. They should take what they could get and not think of "what if".

Some circumstances cannot change. Some hearts are too dear to be broken. But the precious moments, the fleeting hours of bliss that make life worth living, they belong to those that steal them.

* * *

Definition/etymology from Merriam Webster's dictionary

Medical definition of euphoria from Wikipedia (I know, _so_ credible.)

Hope you enjoyed my different take on the word "euphoria". Please read and review!


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